Rowhouse Restaurant

Most of the food served was good. Not the lime and coconut soup with hot sauce. Failure. Food was very very small portions. I would recommend eating before you go so as not to leave hungry. Topeka deserves better. Charge more but serve a decent portion.

Always creative menu options with excellent food! I had the tasting menu so you get a little of everything. The corn fritter was to die for!

On our cross country road trip, my mom and I knew we needed to get something to eat before venturing across Kansas, so we googled restaurant options in Topeka and found this *adorable* restaurant tucked in a row of brownstones on a side street.

As soon as we walked in, we knew this place would suit us perfectly. The staff were friendly and sat us in what I would assume was the home's former parlor. The menu offers a wide variety of soups, salads, and sandwiches with delicious ingredients. They also offer a few specials each day. We were there for lunch, so I can't speak for dinner.

I ordered the Roasted Turkey Sandwich on a toasted grain bread, green onion cheese, green aioli, and sunflower seed pesto. It was served with a yummy quinoa side dish, but I can't remember exactly what was in it. I'm not lying when I say this is the best sandwich I've ever had!

Mom had the special, which was a hot ham and cheese sandwich and a potato garlic creamy soup. She was also very impressed!

If I ever find myself in Topeka again, I'll be stopping by The Rowhouse for sure!

What an amazing surprise to find while visiting Topeka!! Never thought I could find a place this good in this town.
They do so many great things on so many levels it's hard to know where to start so I'll start with the atmosphere itself. An old, restored row house gives this place a very unique charm. Even though they had planned in seating us downstairs in this 3 level house we chose to sit outside which proved to be a great decision. Seated in a garden of flowers & herbs we were able to witness the cooks cutting fresh herbs for their amazingly fresh recipes. Fountains and many umbrellas offer a very comfortable, relaxing setting.
One of the things drawing us to the restaurant was the pictures & descriptions of craft drinks. The first thing we ordered we two craft drinks. We ordered a Cucumber Lemonade & the Blueberry Mischief Mule. Both were made with fresh ingredients and delicious!! At the end of dinner we requested a coffee cocktail to have with dessert & the bar tender did something amazing. She made something for us which a coffee/rum drink served hot. Delicious & went perfect with the dessert.
We opted for the tasting of all the chefs offerings for the evening. 6 courses of amazing food perfectly paired with amazing wine!!!
The staff went way above and beyond. Our servers Zach & Elaine made us feel as though we were the only ones in the restaurant. After finishing our meal we went downstairs to have one more drink. Elaine then gave us a tour of the house.
Can't wait to go back.

My two grandchildren and I went in during their lunch menu and I am so happy we did. Every single bite from the appetizer to dessert was pure joy with all the flavor combinations that blended so well.
We plan to return for their dinner experience soon.
We honestly feel this eating establishment is the best Topeka has to offer.

WOW!!! (Truly one of the BEST experience we have ever had)
What a fabulous fun experience!
Five stars from just how we were treated... back it up, from the fact my husband was able to get us in! Reservations are needed so to limited hrs for dinner. Apparently husband was looking for a great place to eat, he called them left a message and when they called back he wasn't able to answer and FORGOT to call back (very typical of him) however when he called the next day, they said they were booked, he said he did a little begging and they agreed to fit us in 15 min early to opening! He told the he was gluten free and we were going to dinner before a concert.
Day of, the location took me by surprise on location. We walk up, they open the door, great us and confirm our reservation with an "ah yes!"
From that point on, the night was FUN.
They had these fresh flowers and sprigs of this green plan. Me, being me, I smelled the green spring and proceeded to inquire about what it was . It smelled so good, so, our waitress and host proceeded to figure out what plant it was they picked from the garden . I said... it smelled "purple" low and behold... it was catmint! And it's A PURPLE flower when bloomed!!!
So now about the food... freaking AMAZING.
Because he called in and told them he was gluten free the staff already set the meal for us and they were tracking our event and asked how fast we wanted to eat! We didn't have to explain anything.
The menu is set. You get it all, top to bottom. They just made adjustments for us. Rice paper was so good! They have paired wine if you want with each course that was just as fun and fabulous.
Each person was personable and engaging.
After dinner we sipped on tea to close up the meal.
Upon leaving they showed us the garden! Invited us to experience a Thursday garden night with them.
It was one of the BEST experiences we have had out.

There really isn't anything I could offer as a suggestion for improvement. An innovative and sophisticated menu, a quaint and intimate setting, attentive servers and appropriate pricing make this a place I want to visit again. I was with a friend for business and she let me pick the place. Of course, I yelped to find the best place. And, I'm quite sure we did!
I had the beef short rib sandwich with red cabbage on a ciabatta roll with a green aioli (pictured) and it was absolutely delicious. I'm not a huge quinoa or kale fan and I was loved both the way they were prepared. I ate every bite and wanted more. My friend said her orange, chicken salad sandwich was delicious too.
Both our meals were between $12.00 and $14.00 - we drank water so can't comment on beverage prices.
I'm really hoping we have a reason to go back to Topeka. Or through Topeka. Or, maybe I can make up a reason convincing enough for my boyfriend and I to go to Topeka... it will be worth the 90 minute drive just to see what else they knock out of the park!

I am usually in Lawrence or Kansas City and only rarely in Topeka. When I was there previously, two of the best restaurants had been New City at Gage Center and Brick Oven Courtyard and Grille. Both are now closed.

At the present time, the best restaurant in Topeka, by far, is the Row House Restaurant. The owner and chef is Greg Fox. The restaurant is in an old historic row house close to the state capital building in downtown Topeka. The Row Houses were built by William Wallace Ross, beginning in 1855. The Row House Restaurant is more than an excellent restaurant. It is an experience. If you have not been there, you should give it a try.

It offers a pre-fixe tasting menu of six small courses, which change weekly. You cannot make reservations online. You must call, and for good reason. Because of the nature of the menu, they will need to talk with you about any dietary restrictions or preferences you will want them to accommodate. They will likely also wish to talk with you about your seating preferences. As a three story narrow row house, there are tables on all three level with differences in the atmosphere on each level. We sat on the lowest level in a booth. There is also a full bar on that level. The booth we chose yesterday is called Bar 4 or the garden level window booth. We liked it. There also is a large outdoor patio in back, with live entertainment sometimes offered.

The nature of the tasting menu is strictly fine dining in the best sense. But unlike most such high end restaurants, there is nothing at all pretentious about the restaurant. No french words are used on the menu. The servers are dressed casually, and some customers wear jeans. Comparable restaurants in large cities such as New York City or Chicago would usually have a dress code. In addition, such restaurants usually have wine lists including no moderately priced wines. That policy always annoys me. But this restaurant has an excellent wine list including some very expensive wines, but also some moderately priced wines. We ordered a bottle priced at $25.

I wish there were a comparable restaurant in Lawrence.

We had a wonderful experience at Rowhouse Restaurant! The house itself was built in the 1800s and is a narrow, multi-level home. We had made reservations to celebrate my birthday the weekend before it. The menu changes weekly depending on what is fresh, and it is all sourced in the region.

Our server was very personable. I started off with a class of prosecco, and Eric R. had the pineapple upside down cake cocktail (it had a funnier name but I cannot remember it). The amuse bouche was blanched asparagus and tomato slice with parsley-pecan pesto and herb-infused olive oil.

The courses were:
1. Local kale and arugula salad with picked beets and merlot cheese in orange marmalade vinaigrette
2. Tomato dill soup
3. Goat cheese polenta with wild mushroom
4. Beef tenderloin with edamame succotash and avocado mash
5. Mahi mahi with pecan praline crust, radish salad, and chive vinaigrette
..insert birthday dessert from restaurant: layered shortbread with icing and rainbow sprinkles..
6. Dessert trio: pineapple upside down cake with cherry, kiwi sorbet with shortbread cookie, vanilla custard with bananas foster

Everything was very good. I really enjoyed the salad, the beef, and the custard dessert. The beef was perfectly cooked considering we did not offer how we like it cooked. It was melt-in-the-mouth tender. Eric R. really liked the mahi mahi. As a diner, you can choose to have just one entree instead of tasting all 3, which is especially great for vegetarians (for whom there is always an option). The restaurant also will accommodate dietary restrictions.

Since the menu changes weekly and I live an hour from here, I look forward to my next visit because I know the food will be different and the service and atmosphere are great! At the end of dinner (and a few other drinks - the B-52 was STRONG!), our server took a photo of us and gave us a tour of the entire house, top to bottom. There is a gorgeous patio outside near the herb garden where I would like to sit next time. There is also a secluded room upstairs that would be romantic with a curtain. Definitely come here for a special occasion! Tasting menu with 6 courses is $43 per person.

For Topeka, this restaurant is a gem. The tasting approach is one of my favorites, because it allows you to experience the wide range of techniques and skills a chef and back-of-house team have mastered. One consistent hesitation with tasting menus that folks have is that the portions are small. Plainly, this is not the case at Rowhouse. You will not leave the restaurant hungry. The only thing holding me back from 5 stars is that some of the flavor profiles were not as well-balanced as I would have liked, but nonetheless, I will continue to go back when I'm in town.

My cousin, local gal, took me here for dinner this evening. We had the Chef's menu. And it was awesome! It may say a tasting menu- but the portions were generous. The service was impeccable! They were engaging and patient as we chatted and made decisions. The style and feel of the space is very intimate. The entire dining experience had a sense of ownership from everyone there. All this and I haven't even told you about the amazing food!
The chef is very detail oriented and was evident is every plate. The combination of favors mades me take a bite and savor it for a moment. At first, I was trying to identify something... and then I just stopped thinking and appreciate what they have created.
Thank you a wonderful evening!